Koehler farm commemorates 100 years of farming

On Feb. 14, 1914, Charles and Emma Bartell Koehler purchased land from Vera Robin Kane Colwell. The land was located at McElroy Lake three miles east of Paha, a thriving community of 600 people.

Prior to arriving in Ritzville they had been farming at Dufur, Ore. Charles began a farming operation with his sons Louis, Carl, Max and Marshall Koehler. The farming was done by horse and mules and progressed over the years to more conventional farming methods.

In 1919, Charles and Emma moved to California and later to Portland, Ore. Louis moved to Santa Rosa, Calif., and Max went to college at Stanford University to follow new careers. Marshall was killed in action in World War II.

Carl took over farming operations and married Anna Braun on Oct. 7, 1919. The main operations of the farm were wheat and Black Angus cattle. Carl then purchased his brother’s shares of the farm and acquired an additional 700 acres to the existing original farm of 1,000 acres.

Carl and Anna were blessed with seven children Clifford, Dorothy, Helen, Emma, Julia, Donald and Eleanor. One of the main reasons for the purchase of this farm was because of the large lake described in the deed as, being clear and having a sandy bottom. The lake provided a source of ice, which was cut and stored in the icehouse to provide storage for fresh food at the farm.

Lots of activities occurred at the lake including ice-skating, boating, swimming, hunting and fishing, plus it served as a good picnic location. Anna and the girls were the main cooks for all the family and large farm crew. When the family became older a decision was made that they would move to Walla Walla.

On Nov. 2, 1943, the Carl Koehler family moved, leasing the farm to Herbert Gross. A number of years late the farm was then farmed by Donald and JoAnn Koehler and boys from 1955 through 1962. Carl was involved in the operation until he retired at the age of 86 and lived to the age of 96, while Anna died at the age of 86.

The farm is now owned operated by the by the third and fourth generation of the Koehler family.

Dorothy, Carol and Eleanor reside in Walla Walla. Third and fourth generation family members now manage the farm as part of the family with a long commitment to the land.

Randy Gust of Gust Farms now is the operator of the land.